Truancy, Dropouts and Delinquency:

Lessons, Costs and Strategies

Virginia Truancy Prevention Institute

What is NCSE?

• The National Center for School Engagement • Promoting truancy prevention and school success

•Improving teachers’ skills with homeless and highly mobile youth

• Provide training, evaluation and technical assistance

• NCSE is a hosted by the Colorado Foundation for Families and Children

Troubling Statistics

• Truants are 2 to 8 times as likely to become adjudicated delinquent

• 70% of suspended youth are chronically truant in the previous 6 months.

• 97% of expelled youth are chronically truant in the previous year.

• 80% of dropouts were chronically truant in the past year.

• 90% of youth in detention for delinquent acts were truant.

Troubling Statistics

• 25% of all expelled youth will be in youth corrections within 1 year.

• 82% of adult prison inmates dropped out of high school.

• 70% of adult offenders have a history of youth offending.

National Truancy Reduction Demonstration Sites

• King County Superior Courts, Seattle WA• State Attorney’s Office, Jacksonville, FL• University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI• Weed and Seed Office, Contra Costa Co., CA• Safe Streets Campaign, Tacoma, WA• Mayor’s Anti-Gang Office, Houston, TX• Suffolk Co. Probation Dept., Yaphank, NY• + Three sites in Colorado

RESULTS-BASED TRUANCY PROGRAM

Need/Capacity

Child, family, school, and community characteristics that determine assets and context

StrategyGuided by our needs and capacity, the tools and activities used to achieve our desired outcomes

MilestonesThe measurements of progress that allow us to know if we are on the right path to achieving good outcomes

ResultsThe desired ultimate results/effects/outcomes of our efforts

EVALUATIONEVALUATION

Principles that guide the work:•Diversity is valued•Families are actively involved•Youth are treated with respect•Collaboration with the community is critical

Family:Need informationValues re: school,Essential for attendance

Inform about PoliciesCreate attendance contracts

Engaged in solutionsEngaged in child’s Learning, Understands policies

School: Value engagementLearning environ.

AttendanceAttachmentAchievement

Community:CourtsLaw enforcement CBOs,

Communityinvolvement with youth, resources accessed, etc.

Student:Academic abilities,Social, Behavioral,peers, JJ

Improved attendance, grades, behaviorFeeling attached

SARBsAlt. Ed.Credit/grading Attachment

Peer Mentoring/ TutoringIncentivesSanctions

Public education,mediaOutreach

PROCESS EVALUATION

OUTCOME EVALUATION

TRUANCY REDUCTION PROGRAMTRUANCY REDUCTION PROGRAM

Needs & Capacities Strategies Milestones

Results

Youth are inschool and out

of thejuvenile justice

system

Solutions for Truant Youth Strengthening Networks –Building Capacity - Supporting Youth -Creating Cycles of Success

Youth Success

Youth and Parent Accountability

Coordinate & Integrate programs

Increased Family

Involvement

Convene Stakeholders to Design A Community

Response

Provide Evaluation and Training and Technical Assistance to Programs Engaged in Supporting

Attendance, Attachment, and

Achievement

Engage Law Enforcement Courts Schools

Juvenile Services Social Services

Develop Public Policy & Funding Strategies

Major Truancy Reduction Strategies

Collaborations for Planning: Schools, Courts, Police Public Awareness Activities: School & community Short Term Interventions

SARBsKnock and Talk

Parent-student Workshop/ ContractingHome VisitsMediationTruancy Centers

Longer Term Interventions: Case Management, Support Services

Court Interventions: Parent arrest, detention of youth, fines , D&N petitions, CHINS petitions, Driver’s License revocation

•

TRAIN screen capture

Data Background

The following data are based on 595 students entered into an online database (TRAIN) from all 7 demonstration sites.

Except where noted, these data represent all intake data since the project’s inception in 2000.

Ethnicity

A s ia n / P a c if ic Is la n d e r

1 1 %

B la c k / A f r ic a n A m e r ic a n

1 8 %

N a t iv e A m e r ic a n

1 %

O t h e r2 0 %

L a t in o /H is p a n ic

2 2 %

W h it e /C a u c a s ia n

2 8 %

Gender

4 9 % 5 1 %

0 %

2 0 %

4 0 %

6 0 %

8 0 %

1 0 0 %

F e m a le M a le

Grade

3 r d G r a d e & U n d e r

2 5 %

4 t h - 6 t h G r a d e

1 7 %

7 t h - 9 t h G r a d e

4 8 %

1 0 t h - 1 2 t h G r a d e

1 0 %

Age

6 o r U n d e r1 9 %

7 t o 91 6 %

1 0 t o 1 21 8 %

1 3 t o 1 53 1 %

1 6 a n d O v e r1 6 %

Parents Living Together

7 3 %

2 7 %

0 %

1 0 %

2 0 %

3 0 %

4 0 %

5 0 %

6 0 %

7 0 %

8 0 %

N o Y e s

More than One Residence

1 0 %

9 0 %

0 %1 0 %2 0 %

3 0 %4 0 %5 0 %6 0 %7 0 %

8 0 %9 0 %

1 0 0 %

N o Y e s

Number of Adults in the Home

3 8 %

4 6 %

1 1 % 4 % 1 % 1

2

3

4

5 o r m o r e

Number of Working Adults in the Home

2 0 %

5 5 %

3 %1 %

2 1 %

0

1

2

3

4 o rm o r e

School Discipline Problems

7 0 %3 %

2 7 % N o

U n k n o w n

Y e s

Note: 284 students had information filled out for this category.

Discipline Problems by Grade

The largest proportion of school discipline problems appears in the 6th and 8th grade, with 48% and 47% of kids whose information is provided have problems.

7th Graders are a close third with 40% followed by a distant fourth of 9th graders who make up only 26% proportionately.

Juvenile Justice Involvement

7 8 %

7 %1 5 %

N o

U n k n o w n

Y e s

Numbers of Students with Common Challenges

2 8 3

1 1 8

2 4 2

1 3 0 1 2 2

3 4 1

0

5 0

1 0 0

1 5 0

2 0 0

2 5 0

3 0 0

3 5 0

Family Stressors (283), Mobility (118), Emotional Stability (242), Family Relationship (130), Peer Relationship (122), Academic Problems (344)

Number of Students with Less Common Challenges

9 1

6 3

8 4

9 7

0

1 0

2 0

3 0

4 0

5 0

6 0

7 0

8 0

9 0

1 0 0

Living Situation (91), Been Bullied (63),

Transportation (84), Chronic Illness (97)

Gender Differences in Bullying

Boys were significantly more likely to have had problems with bullying than girls. (45 boys vs. 23 girls)

In general, boys were bullied due to their small size and gang activity relative to girls who were bullied more by members of the opposite sex, sometimes involving sexual harassment/violence.

Individual Education Plan

8 3 %

1 7 %

0 %

2 0 %

4 0 %

6 0 %

8 0 %

1 0 0 %

N o Y e s

Mental Health Services

8 %2 4 %

6 %4 2 %

5 %

1 5 % F a m i ly D e c l in e d

In P r o g r e s s

N e e d e d b u t N /A

N o t N e e d e d

R e c e iv e d

S c h e d u le d

Case Management Services

3 %

5 8 %0 %

2 2 %

1 4 %

3 %F a m i ly D e c l in e d

In P r o g r e s s

N e e d e d b u t N /A

N o t N e e d e d

R e c e iv e d

S c h e d u le d

Improvements

Of 520 update records, the greatest number of improvements were made in:

Academic Achievement (135)Emotional Stability (116) Improving Peer Relationships (113) Family Relationship(111) / Family

Stressor (108)

Number of Contact Hours over the Last 3 Months

6 6 %1 5 %

1 0 %5 % 3 %

0 %1 %

0 - 1 0

1 1 - 2 0

2 1 - 3 0

3 1 - 4 0

4 1 - 5 0

5 1 - 6 0

9 1 - 1 0 0

Attachment Surveys

The following data come from attachment surveys that are administered to students in three intensive sites: Houston, Jacksonville, and Seattle.

The information is preliminary and largely reflects the Houston and Seattle sites, which serve an older population and at the time of analysis had more surveys submitted.

Student Challenges

On average, students reported having trouble with:

Teachers “a few times” to “once a week”and

Other Students, Paying Attention, and Completing Homework “once a week” to “almost daily”

They also indicate that class is NOT engaging and they are not interested in the class work.

Education and Aspirations

Students reported that: Education is “very important” to “quite

important” That they are almost equally likely to get

a good job that they like following high school as they are to complete a 2 and/or 4 year college program and continue with graduate school. In all categories the responses fell between “not sure” and “probably will”

AND NOW….

What we’ve all been waiting for…..

Attendance Results!

Attendance

Since the project’s inception, the average excused absence rate dropped from 4.37 at intake to 3.55 at the first update for the population as a whole.

The average unexcused absence rate dropped from 14.64 at intake to 7.40 at the first update.

Truancy Center Reduction Efforts Resulted in 65%

Decrease in Daytime CrimeTacoma, WA

•Targeted neighborhood interventions•Multi-agency collaborative•Core team at middle school•Truancy case manager•Truancy officers and Truancy center

Improved Attendance Resulted in

$120,000 More in Revenue in 2 Schools

Contra Costa, CA• Student Attendance Review Board• Cooperative relationship with school system & Weed and Seed Program• Positive attendance staff in schools• Focus groups with families• Outreach/public awareness

Local ActionWhere do we start?

• Know your attendance laws, local policies & their inconsistencies

• Develop a strategic plan across agencies• Focus on attendance not just truancy• Adopt promising practices that “fit” locally• Create both incentives and graduated sanctions• Involve students and parents in planning programs

to improve attendance• Take baselines and track progress

Sticks and Carrots: Mix and MatchSticks

Fine Parents

Arrest Parents

Contempt Citations

Withhold TANF

File CHINS/PINS

File D & N Petition

School F Grading

No Extra Curric. Act.

Suspensions/.Expulsions

Suspend Driving License

CarrotsAttendance Awards

Change Ed. Placement

Home Visits + Plan

Community Service

Acad. Supp/Part credit

School-Home Contracts

After School Programs

Class letters home

Case Mgmt. Services

Truancy Workshops

The Costs and Benefits of Three Intensive Interventions

With Colorado Truants

Research Questions

• Estimate costs of truancy before & after intervention

• Costs of truancy projects compared to their outcomes (benefits)

• How do the projects compare to court costs and their outcomes?

What are the costs of truancy?

• Short term costs– School and court expenditures– Cost of sentencing options (detention)– Juvenile crime associated with truancy

• Long term costs– Adult crime later on– Lower income tax revenues– Increased social service expenditures

Dropouts Cost A Lot

• Vernez, Krop, and Rydell at RAND show a dropout costs $200K+ per person– Lost income taxes– Social service expenditures– Adult criminal justice expenditures

• 8,714 CO dropouts in ’01 cost almost $2 billion.

Court: ResultsAdams Denver Pueblo

Number of truancy filings '00-'01 217 980 79Total court cost $90 K $286 K $55 KPer truant cost $413 $292 $694 Potential savings (30% success)

$ 13.5 million

$63 million

$5 million

Breakeven success rate 1/ 504 1/ 739 1/ 302

Or one grad every… 2.3 years.75

years 3.8 years

TRPs: ResultsAdams Denver Pueblo

Number of youths served '00-'01 90 84 423

Total program cost $49 K $54 K $768 KPer truant cost $544 $640 $1,815

Potential savings$7.8

million$7.5

million$38.8

million

Breakeven success rate 1/383 1/337 1/115Or one grad every…

4.2 years 4 years

3 months

Truancy Reduction Saves Public Funds

Estimated Per Capita Savings in Public Spending and Income Taxes For Each Truant Student Who

Completes High School

Adams County, CO- $208,371

Denver, CO- $215,649

Pueblo, CO- $209,550

Unestimated Benefits

• Deterrent effects of both court and TRPs• TRPs uncover many fundamental problems

– Mental health

– Substance abuse

– Physical abuse

• Better educated children will grow up to be better educated parents

National Trends

• We now have solid connection from truancy to delinquency– Two to eight times greater likelihood truants will become adjudicated– Even for occasional period skippers

• Documenting attendance and truancy by state

• Less use by courts of detention for truancy

• More jurisdictions making the connection between truancy and daytime crime

• Connecting attendance to attachment for achievement

• Truancy can be reduced and is a worthy investment of public funds

Count Me In For Learning!Public Education Campaign for School

Engagement

School Year Activity Cycle

Count Me in ForLearning

I Count

I’m Learning

I’ve LearnedAug-Sept

Oct-Nov

Jan-Feb

May-June

Count Me in For LearningAugust Prior to School Opening

Example Activities• Mobile School Enrollment at parks, rec

centers, shopping malls, businesses

• Line up business partners for dissemination of Count me In message on shopping bags, fast food bags, posters

• Create give-aways like buttons, book bags, back to school lists, book marks, posters, T-Shirts, etc

• Media events about school enrollment, TV interviews, hotline for where to enroll an school info

• Family potluck dinners and fund nights at schools just before opening

I CountOctober-November

Example Activities• School Count day activities (also state

test day activities)– Welcome snacks– Parent socials and info sharing

sessions– “I Count” stickers or buttons for all– Student led DJ music at lunch

• “I Count” poster & essay contestsOn Learning & staying in school

• “Improve the School” student focus groups

• Teacher- student role swaps• School climate surveys and

discussions

I’m LearningJanuary-February

Example Activities• Attendance & achievement awards

• Mid-Year Completion celebrations

• “Improve the school” parent focus groups

• Learning is Cool poster contest

• Student letters & phone calls to excessively absent students

• Teacher home visits

• Parent- teacher- student evening ice cream socials about learning

• Hands-on learning days

I’ve LearnedMay-June

Example Activities• HS Graduations make front page and TV news• School & Business awards and incentives for

graduates and continuants (elem-MS; MS-HS)• What I’ve Learned essay contests• What I wanted to learn student focus groups • School celebrations and awards for attendance,

achievement, academic lettering, service learning

• Student speeches, art, music science and math presentations of learning to service clubs , churches, civic groups

• Presentations of Learning a requirement for graduation and continuations